Pro-Obama group targets lawmakers on gun control

Apr. 9, 2013
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President Obama lets families who lost relatives in the Sandy Hook school massacre exit Air Force One at Andrews Air Force Base, Md., Monday. Obama was returning from Hartford, Conn., where he spoke at the University of Hartford, near the state Capitol where last week the governor signed into law some of the nation's strictest gun-control laws. / Cliff Owen, AP

by Aamer Madhani, USA TODAY

by Aamer Madhani, USA TODAY

As lawmakers return to Washington after a two-week break, President Obama's friends at Organizing for Action are targeting 11 lawmakers to get behind gun-control legislation.

OFA, a pro-Obama group spun off from his presidential campaign, went online on Monday with ads -- running on Facebook and search engines -that encourage viewers to call on their senators to back gun-control measures.

The ads focus on 10 Republicans and one Democrat. The Republicans are: Sens. Collins, Jeff Flake of Arizona, Saxby Chambliss and John Isakson of Georgia, Dan Coats of Indiana, Chuck Grassley of Iowa, Dean Heller of Nevada, Kelly Ayotte of New Hampshire, Rob Portman of Ohio and Ted Cruz of Texas. Sen. Martin Heinrich of New Mexico is the only Democrat OFA is targeting in this round of ads.

Obama traveled to Hartford, Conn., on Monday night and delivered a speech about 50 miles from the mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School to drum up support from Americans to get behind gun legislation he's backing.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid had planned to move forward with debate on a gun bill as early as this week, but 14 GOP lawmakers - including Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell - have threatened to block a vote on the legislation if it moves to the Senate floor as is.

The GOP lawmakers have raised concerns that the legislation puts an unfair burden on law-abiding gun owners, and could lead to unnecessary government surveillance.